Requirements

The Music Department at Emory offers three tracks for fulfilling a major in music: Composition, Performance, Research. Students must select a track by the end of the sophomore year and fulfill all course requirements in the track in order to earn a major in music. Since significant portions of the music curriculum are based on mastery of sequential study, the department recommends as early a declaration as possible. Early declaration also allows students maximum benefit from private lesson study, since the department provides a half-subsidy for private lessons for declared music majors.

Notes:

No more than three credit hours of Supervised Reading or Study Abroad courses may count toward fulfillment of the music major.

An internship may not count toward the music major.

All courses must be taken for a letter grade.

AP Music Theory Exam – A score of 4 will transfer to Emory as MUS 114 and count as a 100-level elective toward the music major. A score of 5 will transfer to Emory as MUS 121 and the student may move on to MUS 122 in the spring semester.

A total of 16 hours of MUS 300, 320, and 310 may be applied toward the 128 academic hours requirements for graduation, although all applied music and ensembles must be taken for credit.

Students may not apply MUS 300, 310, or 320 as electives in any of the tracks.

Students will complete 45 credit hours to fulfill requirements in each track.

Requirements for the BA in Music: Composition Track

Theory/Analysis (18 hrs)

MUS 121

MUS 122

MUS 221

MUS 222

Composition (14 hrs)

MUS 349R (4 semesters)

MUS 445 Orchestration

MUS 347 Electronic Music

History/Culture (6 hrs)

MUS 200 Music, Culture, and Society

History & Culture Category A or B: choose one course

Performance (4 hrs)

Choose a combination of MUS 300 Ensembles and/or MUS 320 Applied

Electives (3 hrs)

Suggested:

MUS 444 Counterpoint

MUS 350 Music since 1945

MUS 367 Computer Music Composition

Optional: If approved, a student may present a recital of original compositions during the junior or senior year. Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher may submit a proposal to present an honors recital in the music composition track. See honors guidelines for detailed information.

Students pursuing the Performance Track are encouraged to enroll in Applied Music and Ensembles every semester until graduation. A total of 16 hours of MUS 300 and MUS 320 will count toward the 128 hours for graduation.

Theory/Analysis (15 hrs)

MUS 121

MUS 122

MUS 221*

*With the recommendation of the World Music Advisor, a student pursuing the Performance Track on a non-western instrument may substitute one elective appropriate to his or her focus for MUS 221.

History/Culture (9 hrs)

MUS 200 Music, Culture, and Society

History & Culture Category A: choose one course

History & Culture Category A or B: choose one course

Electives (9 hrs)

Choose one advanced theory and analysis course or history and culture course from the following list:

MUS 222

MUS 245

MUS 350

MUS 444

One course from History & Culture Category C.

Choose two electives from any of the department’s offerings, only one of which can be at the 100-level.

Optional: If approved, a student may present a solo recital during the junior or senior year. Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher may submit a proposal to present an honors recital in the music performance track. See honors guidelines for detailed information.

*Ethnomusicology: a student pursuing the Research Track and writing a research thesis may substitute one elective appropriate to his or her research focus for MUS 221, if approved by the student’s advisor.

History/Culture (20 hrs)

MUS 200 Music, Culture, and Society

History & Culture Category A: Choose two courses

History & Culture Category B: Choose one course

History & Culture Category C: Choose two courses

Performance (4 hrs)

Choose a combination of MUS 300 Ensembles and/or MUS 320 Applied

Electives (6 hrs)

Choose two courses from the following list:

Courses from History & Culture Categories A, B, or C

MUS 222

Three credit hours MUS 497 Supervised Reading approved by the advisor

A cognate course arranged with the student’s advisor

Optional: If approved, a student may write a capstone thesis during the senior year. Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher may submit a proposal to complete an honors thesis in the research track. See honors guidelines for detailed information.